April Update 2

Hi all
We are now on sea trail legs, just the three of us, first Holyhead to Beaumaris, for an overnight stay which we did yesterday (dingy training), and today 29th Beaumaris to Liverpool Marina. We left Beaumaris this morning at 08:15 hrs and arrived at the Lock gates in the river Mersey at 15:00 hrs, we had one incident on passage, that being the painter line on the dingy parted! this halfway up the Mersey in the channel! This meant an impromptu training exercise of manoverboard and recovery under sail, we performed the broadreach away-tack-broadreach back feather/stall, third time success! After lock in and mooring we had a very nice well deserved 'Pint'.
The wind on passage was from the East-Southeast force 5 gusting 6 in rain squalls, this meant a broad reach all the way, so we had a good sail dipping the lee rail at times and reaching over 9 knts with the tide behind us. All crew performed well and a pat on the back well deserved!
Roy, Sue, Dick.

Guiding Light at Holyhead

click to enlarge

April Update

Hi all, we had some good weather during March and April and we made very good progress, so we are pleased to tell you of our launch yesterday 14 April at 14:33hrs, Guiding Light looked a picture, we then took her to Holyhead Marina arriving there at 19:12hrs. All went very well, as there was no wind we motored all the way, I still have a small problem with the fuel line, and will renew this shortly. So the first leg has been completed. We had one guest aboard for this very first leg, that being 'Isabelle' who is 12 and is Sue's niece, she said she enjoyed the trip even though the wind was very cold, and all though she had done nothing much she hadnt got bored, the highest praise I could have wished for. 

Roy-Sue-Dick-Isabelle.

March Update

We are now preparing the hull, old antifouling off, prime and 3 coats of new. Launch date is fast aproaching and all is still going well and on schedual. This particular Post is to test communications and make sure that posting via e-mail will work well when on passage.

Roy 

 

The Begining 2009

Guiding Light is a 1936 Gauntlet 12 ton Cutter. I have owned her since late 1993.
She was restored in 1994 a lot of this work being done by myself in Southampton UK.
Her call sign and signal letters are GKGG her off No.165091
Registered home port of Beaumaris, Anglesey.
In mid 2008 I decided to undertake an extended voyage in this yacht.
Anglesey uk to New Zealand, and back, to see how far it is.
To this end preparing the yacht has been on going, various additions and renewals to her equipment list etc. and a lot of engineering updating, I am on track for leaving the UK early May 2009.
This blog will allow myself and my Crew to Post the progress of the yacht
Roy Boughton (owner Skipper).

The Yacht is presently ashore at Gallows Point Beaumaris